A KIDNEY patient in Thanet says lives could be at risk if the health service shake-up proposed for East Kent goes ahead.

Plans discussed at a meeting on Monday included moving renal care to Ashford. Ramsgate kidney patient Chris Perrott said: "It is absolutely ridiculous. Patients would have to endure journeys of up to two and a half hours, three times a week, on top of dialysis.

"If I had to go to Ashford, I would need to go in a hospital car, which pick up several people at a time. I've known patients to be travelling around East Kent for four hours. My condition would deteriorate rapidly if I had to go through that."

Members of East Kent NHS Trust's Clinical Policy Board met to discuss the proposed shake-up of health services in East Kent. With Kent and Canterbury Hospital services reduced major services, including renal care, would be at Ashford's William Harvey Hospital. Margate could get few, if any, of the new departments.

Mr Perrott, 67, runs a charity to raise money for fellow kidney patients. He says there are about 30 people receiving treatment at Margate at any one time, but there is also a waiting list.